Mar 1940 - 1st voyage, secret dash to New York. Painted Grey and fitted with a degaussing cable. Note that was fitted much higher on the hull than the later one, just below the top row of hull portholes. No guns.
Jan-Feb 1941 - In Singapore Naval Dockyard. Hull painted black with grey upper works. 6” gun fitted the the after mooring deck. 3 X 3” guns fitted, 2 on either quarter at the aft end of the promenade deck and one amidships aft of the verandah grill on the slightly raised section of the aft boat deck.
Apr 1941 - First mention of paravanes on the after section of the foredeck.
Nov 1941 - sketch shows a gun tub with a light gun (2 X 20mm Oerlikons) abeam the forward funnel fitted in Port Tewfik.
Jan 1942 - Sydney. 2 concrete mounts fitted to foredeck scuttle for latter fitment of 2 X 3” gun mounts.
Jan/Feb 1942 - Esquimalt drydock in Canada. Repainted grey?, 2 extra lifeboats fitted aft and the 2 foredeck 3” guns fitted plus various machine gun mounts. Also preliminary hull work to relocate the degaussing cable lower down.
Jun 1942 (assumed) - UK. Completion of move of degaussing cable.
Sep 1942 - New York. A-Scan Radar fitted in shack on after end of monkey island.
1942-44 - Extra AA guns fitted on every trip to New York including several twin Bofors, rockets and numerous Oerlikons replacing all the previous machine guns.
Summer 1945 - All armaments removed.
Sep 1945 - Funnels repainted in Cunard colours.
Apr - Jun 1946 - Refitted for civilian use, degaussing cables removed, repainted in Cunard Colours.
There are a few good B&W photos in the book but are copyright to various National Archives and Museums. However comparing the best one to the photo of the CM-P 31 model of HMT Queen Elizabeth on Sammelhafen does confirm the some 30 guntubs fitted later in the war. See https://sammelhafen.de/en/index.php?p=details&schiff=12408
Message Thread
« Back to index